The First Two C-130 J-30 Super Hercules Land at the 130th Airlift Wing

Credit: Master Sgt. Eugene Crist | Date Taken: 08/08/2021
Wing Commander Col. Bryan Preece flew in the first of what will eventually be eight C-130J-30 aircraft followed by a ceremony at the 130th Airlift Wing, McLaughlin Air National Guard Base in Charleston August 8, 2021. The 130th Airlift Wing was selected by the Air Force to convert to the C-130 J- 30 Super Hercules on May 19, 2021. The 130th Airlift Wing previously operated eight C-130H3 Hercules model aircraft, which are more than 25 years old. The 130th Airlift Wing has had a C-130 mission since 1975 and has converted to numerous variations of the C-130 over the years. The Wing maintained a mission capability rate on the C-130H3 that exceeds the Air National Guard standard and is currently the second best of all the ANG C-130H units. In addition, the unit’s strength and retention numbers are consistently one of the highest in the nation. The organization possesses modern infrastructure that allows for the parking, operation and maintenance of a larger aircraft such as the C-130J-30s, without the need for extensive military construction dollars to be allocated to the unit. The C-130J-30 first entered the inventory in February 1999 and boasts a noticeable difference of a six-bladed composite propeller coupled to a Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engine. The C-130J